1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a seat assembly for an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a seat assembly having a drive link for moving a seat cushion forward and downward along a floor of the vehicle in response to forwardly folding a seat back.
2. Description of Related Art
Automotive vehicles include one or more seat assemblies for supporting seat occupants within a passenger compartment of the vehicle. Typically, seat assemblies include a generally horizontal seat cushion spaced above a floor of the vehicle and a generally vertical seat back. It is well known in the seating art to provide a stowable seat assembly movable between a seating position for supporting the seat occupant above the floor and a stowed position lying flat against the floor, or nested within a recess formed in the floor.
Typically, in such seat assemblies, the seat back is pivotally coupled to the seat cushion for movement between a generally upright position and a folded position overlying the seat cushion. The seat cushion often includes a four bar linkage or front and rear legs extending between the seat cushion and the floor of the vehicle for moving the seat cushion between a raised position spaced above the floor and a lowered position resting along the floor. Typically, the pivotal movement of the seat back is actuated and controlled independently of the movement of the seat cushion, thus requiring separate operation of the seat back and seat cushion to move the seat assembly from the seating position to the stowed position.
It is therefore desirable to provide a mechanism or drive link assembly coupled between a seat back and a seat cushion for moving a seat assembly between a seating position and a stowed position in response to pivotal movement of the seat back between a generally upright position and a folded position overlying the seat cushion.